Production of the prototype cars began in the late 1930s and continued until at least 1960. The total number built reached into the tens of thousands. Many of these 70-toncapacity hoppers were rebuilt and remained in service well into the 1970s – it’s probably as close to a “universal” hopper car as railroading will ever see.
The second feature is that the steps, bolsters, and draft-gear pieces are injection-molded in a flexible acetal plastic. The strength of this material allowed Accurail to render the steps very finely yet keep them robust enough to withstand normal handling. Well done!
While the instructions state that cement isn’t required to hold the end braces in place, I found a few dabs of Microscale Kristal Kleer helped hold them while I added the end frame/bolster assemblies.
The car comes with Accumate couplers, sharply detailed one-piece AAR Type Y trucks, and one-piece plastic wheelsets. The axles on three of our four sets of wheels were bent enough that while the flanges were in gauge at some points, at others they were too narrow in gauge, and at others they were too wide in gauge. (Accurail will replace any defective parts.)
The paint on our B&O sample was smoothly applied, with an even sheen, and the white lettering was crisp and opaque.
To me, a quality kit is one that’s a pleasure to assemble and that results in a freight car you’ll be happy to put on your layout. This new Accurail offset-side hopper is indeed a quality kit, and I can recommend it without hesitation.
Price: $10.98 each
Manufacturer
Accurail Inc.
P.O. Box 278
Elburn, IL 60119
Description
Easy plastic kit
Road names: Baltimore & Ohio; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chicago & North Western; Missouri Pacific; Pittsburgh & Lake Erie; Soo Line (dark red); Southern Pacific (T&NO); and undecorated. Data-only cars are available painted black, mineral red, and oxide red
